Preparing and serving home-cooked meals is an incomparable joy, especially when it all goes smoothly. The secret to ensuring a smooth, effortless meal is adequate space -- storage space for dishes and utensils and space to serve the entrees. That's why sideboards and buffets make such popular pieces of dining room furniture. And thanks to their size, shape and storage utility, buffets are also versatile accent pieces that are useful just about anywhere. With the help of this buffet buying guide, you will get acquainted with the options and figure out how to buy a buffet that's right for your home.
Vocabulary might have something to do with the reason buffet furniture isn't put to more use outside the dining room. After all, when you hear the word "buffet," it's tempting to get images of heat lamps, plastic tongs and Las Vegas, but this is not that kind of buffet. Also confusing is the number of words that can denote a buffet. Keep in mind that the terms buffet, sideboard, server and credenza all refer to the same essential piece of furniture. And even though all those terms have their origin in dining and meal presentation, the buffet is one piece of furniture that's just begging for you to use it in new, creative ways.
The modern buffet table is relatively young, dating roughly to the second half of the 18th century with French roots. Before that, the term "buffet" was used to describe any furniture -- movable, fixed or built-in -- that featured a large, flat surface for serving meals and space for storing and displaying fine dinnerware.
Big-name cabinetmakers like Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite, John Shearer and Thomas Sheraton put the buffet table on the map with lavish, rococo-inspired storage. Since that time, buffets have been remixed in terms of style, material and storage options. Let's examine some of the options.
Buffet shelves
While practically all buffets have shelves, some buffets feature open shelving as the most prominent storage option. Shelf-heavy consoles and buffets are at their most useful when they keep your everyday items near at hand. When you're after storage that doubles as display, buffets in this category can't be beat. Just be sure that your shelf-height can accommodate the treasures you want to flaunt. You'll be happy you did when that well-placed crystal vase catches the 6 o'clock sun and impels your guests to "ooh" and "ahh."
Buffet cabinets
For valuable items that you'd like to store behind glass or for simple storage that won't interfere with your decor, choose a buffet with cabinet doors in glass, frosted glass, finished rubberwood or hand-painted oak. If your buffet is headed for the hallway or any area with foot traffic, sideboard cabinets with sliding glass doors won't get in your way, whereas opaque, hinged cabinet doors are great for storing media beneath a buffet used as an entertainment console.
Buffet drawers
Buffet drawers have never had a standard placement, but they usually follow a few patterns. Drawers are typically arranged either as a vertical stack in the center of the credenza or as a row, in three or four at the top or bottom of the buffet, adding to the traditional symmetry of the piece. While less common, asymmetrical drawer and cabinet arrangements are available, and they can make perfect pieces for creating a sense of transitional movement in stale rooms. You can create the same effect with a symmetrical buffet by adorning it with contrasting, multi-level decor.
Buffet wine racks or cellarets
Nothing brings out the warm undertones of a buffet like a prominently-featured wine rack or cellaret. When you use it to store decanters, liquors and wine, it integrates a versatile bar into your room. And when the sideboard buffet's slots aren't occupied by wine bottles, you can use the tucked-away spaces to hold a heavy-duty corkscrew, sets of table linens, backup candles or even incoming and outgoing mail.
As mentioned earlier, buffet furniture, servers and side boards are usually confined to the dining room or kitchen. But that doesn't mean they can't be used elsewhere.
Kitchen and dining buffet
In the kitchen or dining room, the buffet excels. If you have trouble finding a graceful space for your microwave or you're constantly maneuvering your cutting board into awkward positions, a waist-level kitchen sideboard next to your refrigerator or range could be the solution you need. A dining buffet will also solve the problem of kitchen and dining room storage with more cupboards and drawers. This is especially valuable when you want to create unique homes for your valuable serveware and fine china or a separate space for cookbooks and linens. Choose a buffet with a similar finish to your cabinets and modify your drawer pulls and handles to match those in the kitchen to create a custom look.
Hallway buffet
Because of their shallow profile and dramatic length, buffets are fantastic at sprucing up a grand hallway. Play up the drama with an oversized, space-enhancing mirror or vibrant wall art. Combined with the right lighting, your hallway buffet can play a bright, supporting role in your home as a nexus from one area to another.
Home office buffet
If you're looking to add to your desk's storage space, the right credenza is storage-friendly and a good counterbalance. It's not hard to outgrow the built-in space most home-office desks have to offer, and if you find yourself frequently getting up to track down a binder or a book, it can be a problem. Check that your buffet has shelves to fit your reference material or a cabinet that can house your computer tower, your printer or other equipment.
Bedroom buffet
Consider placing a buffet in your bedroom to replace your dresser, especially if you need only modest dresser drawer space or an extended night table. As more homes upgrade their home entertainment with a flat-screen television set, buffets are filling a whole new function. Large televisions don't take up all of the table space, however, and the space that's left over treats your bedroom to an occasional table for a book in progress or a bowl for your keys, watches or rings. Meanwhile, the cupboards are good places to stash extra towels for the master bathroom as well as extra sheets for the bed.
How can I dress up my buffet table?
First, stock it with what you will be storing. If what's stored below is visible and doubles as display, you should have very little work left to do. Keep it simple. If everything's tucked away, focus on the top of the sideboard buffet and the wall space behind it. Soften a rustic, wooden look with a table runner that's different from, but coordinated with, your wall color. Apply decor, like vases, candles, bowls, pots, paperweights and whatever you can think of in sets of three while varying height, color or shape. Don't be afraid of asymmetry, blank space or occasionally stepping back to look at the room as a whole.
My cabinet doors aren't level, and the knobs don't line up. Did I assemble it wrong?
After several hours of assembly, it can be frustrating if your buffet doors or drawers are crooked. Don't worry! With buffet doors, as with most cabinets, the hinges are usually adjustable. In European-style hinges, there are a several screws -- usually on the hardware that's attached to the cabinet box as opposed to the cabinet door -- that are there for fine-tuning a cabinet door's vertical and horizontal alignment. If the hardware looks more complicated than a familiar, basic plate, then it's probably this kind of hinge. Simply play with the screw tension to get it straight. If that fails, you might have hinges with oblong pilot holes that allow for some movement without you having to create a new hole in the wood. Just loosen the screws and wiggle it into place. This can be a two-person job.
Filling out your buffet
Now that you've found the buffet table for you, put it to work! Stock it with special dinnerware, serveware and flatware from Overstock.com. Find the table linens you need here, too. We have everything you need to make your house a home, and we have it all for less.
Filling out your bar
Using a sideboard as a bar is a classic way to start happy hour at your house. Complete the bar atmosphere with attractive bar stools and bar tables from Overstock.com. The furniture you need is here at prices you won't velieve. And when you order all of your dining room and bar furniture together, you'll save even more with our low, flat-rate shipping.
Filling out your furniture
Let your decorating imagination run wild by browsing through our entire stock of high-quality discount furniture. Get your share of ideas, styles and discounts when you're at home with the "O" -- Overstock.com.
